Le Figaro reports that there is due to be another debate in the Parliament next week about introducing Sunday work in France. Since he has come to power, Sarkozy has repeatedly tried to change the law in this regard.

The issue grabbed headlines recently because Michelle Obama wanted to do some Sunday shopping when she was in Paris. A phone call was necessary from the Elysee Palace to enable her to browse through some high-end stores that would otherwise have been closed.

Sarkozy has said that the measure would create 20 – 30,000 jobs and had believed such a reform would be popular. Since the crisis, those figures have been revised downwards and, as the editorial in Le Figaro says, Sunday work is quite unpopular even amongst right-wing politicians. Amongst those who defend keeping Sunday as a day of rest, there is the political left, the Catholic Church, trade unions and those who defend a certain notion of French Republican values.

The editorial goes on to say that pushing through reforms is notoriously difficult in France. Sarkozy’s attitude could be summed up as ‘some reform is better than none at all’. He has watered down the measures and any reform of Sunday work would remain optional and within restricted tourist and cultural zones in certain towns and cities.

“This would end a situation where there is one rule for Michelle Obama and another for everyone else,” quips le Figaro.

In its “sentence of the day” section, Libération quotes an anonymous heavyweight in the leading UMP party who says the Sunday work reform bill is “un gros paquet de merde.” (a big pile of crap). This neatly illustrates the opposition to the bill, even in the ruling UMP party.

In November 2007, a series of riots took place in a Paris suburb, Villiers-le-Bel, following the death of two youths who died after their moped collided with a police car. Libération reports that today 10 youths will appear before the courts on charges of throwing missiles at the police.

Locals are disgusted because they say that there is still no outcome to investigations into the death of these two teenagers and the responsibility of the police in this regard, if any.

A Libération reporter went to Villier-le-bel to observe the fractious relations between police and youths in the neighbourhood. He recorded one conversation where a local asked a police officer why he was dressed anti-riot gear. The policeman replied “Because you live in a disgusting, crummy neighbourhood.”

Youths say the police show them no respect while the police say they were insulted and assaulted during the riots of 2007.

Another court case getting coverage in today’s papers is that of Algerian-born raï singer Cheb Mami. France Soir reports that he was arrested on Monday as soon as he touched down in Orly Airport. He faces the French courts today on charges of forcing his ex girlfriend to abort his child.

During a trip to Algeria in the summer of 2005, the alleged victim is said to have been locked in a house belonging to one of Mami's friends, where an abortive procedure was attempted on her.

Back in France, however, she realised the foetus was still alive and decided not to abort. The child is now 3 years old.

The singer faces 10 years in prison and a fine of €150,000 euros.

Following an imbroglio in France in late June when President Nicolas Sarkozy declared the burqa to be unwelcome and against French values, al Qaeda has threatened to retaliate. A cartoon in the Communist paper, l’Humanité shows an Al Qaeda strongman ordering a burka-clad woman to crash into a library. The confused woman responds, “What is a library?”

France’s sports daily l’Equipe reports that one of France’s best players, Karim Benzema, is to move from Olympique Lyon - where he has been played for his entire career thus far - to Real Madrid in a deal that cost the club €35 million.

It’s the latest in a series of high spending purchases for the Spanish side.